Arthur Hornbui Bell
Arthur Hornbui Bell (February 14, 1891 - March 1973) was a Bloomfield, New Jersey resident and the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey. Early years He was born on February 14, 1891 in New York City to William John Bell of England.Wild, Michael R., great-grandson of Arthur H. Bell and Leah: downloaded copy of WW1 draft card and 1920 census for New Jersey, Essex county, Bloomfield. Arthur was a member of a vaudeville team known as "Bell and Bell", after marrying Leah Hamlin (1895-1951).Wild, Michael R., great-grandson of Arthur H. Bell and Leah picture of tombstone for Leah in Ovid, Michigan. They went to Europe after World War I in 1919 to entertain the troops, "for the boys," as a members of the "Y" and "Overseas Theater League under Y.M.C.A.".Wild, Michael R., great-grandson of Arthur H. Bell and Leah Leah Bell rode a unicycle and Art and Leah had ventriloquism dummies shows.Wild, Michael R., great-grandson of Arthur H. Bell from family stories and pictures. Pictures show the Arthur and Leah in Y.M.C.A uniforms in Europe in pictures clearly taken after the war Arthur Bell is known to have been a member of the "Over There" theatre organized under Benjamin Franklin Keith and visited Belgium, England, France, and Holland.Wild, Michael R., FOI/PA No. 1133485-000 Unclassified 17 September 2009 case #690F-09: Investigation Report of Arthur Bell Army Air Forces Art and Leah are also listed in the official record of the "Over There" theater as vaudeville players. Klan years Around 1922, Bell became the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan for New Jersey. In 1925 he wrote the introduction to Alma White's pro Klan book, The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy: This book brings out vividly the titanic struggle now taking place, not only in the United States, but over the entire world, and while at the present time the battle raging has not reached the point where bullets, swords and poison gas are the reasons used, the time will soon arrive when the Roman Catholic craving for world-power will, if not checked, cause a revival of a religious war that will be far more disastrous than the late World War. Bishop White deserves the highest praise for her work on this truly wonderful book of "light" and it is hoped that it may reach out into the minds of Protestants and Catholics alike and bring them to a sense of realization as to where this great un-American movement to make the world Catholic will ultimately end. In 1926, he wrote the introduction to Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty and he headed a group that converted Camp Evans into a Klan resort. on Shark River. |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A11FA35591B7A93C2AB178DD85F428285F9 |quote=Establishment of a Summer resort for the Ku Klux Klan on the Shark River at New Bedford is being fostered by officials of the New Jersey Realm of the Klan. The project is in its first stages, but tents and bungalows have been erected. Only members of the Klan or affiliated organizations are admitted to the reservation, which until a year ago was owned by the Radio Corporation of America and was known as the Marconi Radio Station. The property was purchased by the Monmouth Pleasure Club, a holding company of Klansmen, and is now State headquarters of the organization. The Klan is to give demonstrations of its strength on July 3, 4 and 5, and on the last day will parade along the Ocean Boulevard of northern seashore resorts. |publisher=New York Times |date=June 20, 1926 |accessdate=2008-06-14 }} In the same year, he was paid $1,596.96 by the King Kleagle of the Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey, to save the Kleagle's son, Roscoe Carl Ziegler, from charges of embezzlement. In 1928, he called the New York Governor, Al Smith unfit to lead. In 1940, James Colescott had him removed as head of the Klan of New Jersey. He was also vice president of the German American Bund. His first wife's Leah spoke at many Klan events. Wild, Michael R., great-grandson of Arthur H. Bell, Leah was his first wife. He and Leah divorced and he re-married In 1940 he was investigated by the Dies Committee for plans to merge the KKK and the Nazi movement. Bell was interviewed by the Military Intelligence Service and investigated for "disaffection" in 1942. The case was closed, "no further investigation appears warranted," and the report sent to J. Edgar Hoover Later in life he had changed his outlook and said: "I think tolerance should be taught in the public schools." Publications *Ku Klux Klan Or the Knights of Columbus Klan: America Or Rome (1921) *Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty (1926) by Alma White, he wrote the introduction External links *Arthur Hornbui Bell at Findagrave References Images Image:Bell_and_camp_hand_bill.jpg|Vaudeville team with Art and Leah circa 1910 Image:Leah Bell handbill.jpg|Bottom part of hand bill with Leah's act circa 1910 File:Bell-Arthur 1917 draft.jpg|WWI draft of 1917 Image:AHB LB Portrait.jpg|Art and Leah Portrait from WW1 Image:AHB with tank.jpg|Art and Leah with tank from WW1 File:Bell-Arthur 1919 passport 01.jpg|Page 1 of passport application of April 1, 1919 File:Bell-Arthur 1919 passport 02.jpg|Page 2 of passport application of April 1, 1919 File:1920 census Bell.jpg|1920 US Census Image:AHB Flyer Flint.JPG|Flyer from show File:Bell-Arthur 1941 draft.jpg|WWII draft of 1941 Category:Ku Klux Klan members Category:Ku Klux Klan Category:People from Bloomfield, New Jersey Category:Long Branch, New Jersey Category:German American Bund